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For way too long have Korea, Thailand and Japan dominated the Asian market as far as ghost movies go. And it is really, really nice to see Hong Kong make a mark for itself in the ghost genre. Director Juno Mak has really managed to put together a really unique movie here.

Unlike other Asian ghost movies, then this is not a stereotypical ghost movie with a dead girl in a white dress and having her long, black hair covering her face. No, this is way beyond that. Sure it has that element as well, but it just takes it to the next step. And as if that isn't enough, then "Rigor Mortis" also throws in the element of the Chinese vampire mythology into the mix. Odd? Perhaps. Does it work? Oh yeah it does!

"Rigor Mortis" is a very visual and graphic movie, which is rather unlike most Asian ghost movies, and it is a much needed and most welcomed contribution to the genre.

However, a word of warning, "Rigor Mortis" is not just for everyone, especially not if you are set in the way of the traditional Asian ghost movies. But enter this movie with an open mind and leave yourself open to the impressions, but visual and subliminal.

The story in "Rigor Mortis" is about a troubled man who comes to an old and rundown building, where he rents room 2442 - a room with a dark and troubled past. Set out to take his own life and end his torment, it becomes clear that the entire building is a locale of haunts, gruesome tales, and dark magic.

Effects-wise, then "Rigor Mortis" is a visual treat, eye candy if you will. Why? Well, because the CGI effects were realistic and came off a believable, and really helped augment the story and the flow of the movie. And it was nice to see some Asian ghost aside from that stereotypical girl in white dress with her hair covering her entire face.

If you enjoy Asian horror movies, or perhaps ghost movies in particular, then you should without a doubt take a look at Juno Mak's movie, because it is rather amazing. Great entertainment, good story, nice effects and a great change of pace in this particular genre.

How could one not enjoy this visual feast thoroughly is beyond me. It's a sad state of affair that this movie doesn't rate higher on IMDb. Granted, the narration is rather obscure, the ending a bit botched (hence not a 10/10 for me).

Once you let go and you stop trying to understand every second of it, this movie becomes like watching the most fantastic nightmare you've ever seen. Visually, sound-wise, music-wise, it's simply mind-blowing. It's extremely poetic and disturbing rather than terrifying, which might explain some ratings. It's Murnau's Nosferatu meets Ring meets Kung Fu Hustle.

The Japanese horror elements are there but carefully blended with Chinese folklore and shooting style, so the movie remains original. The story ends up making sense overall if you're patient enough, even though some elements of it remain a bit fuzzy. Watching this movie is like getting a shot of something strong, getting slapped in the face and kissed by a beautiful woman (my wife) all at the same time.

One of the most enjoyable - if puzzling at times - movies in a long, long time.

"Rigor Mortis" is a slow-paced but intriguing atmospheric horror movie that honours both classic supernatural Hongkong cinema from the eighties and nineties and Japanese horror cinema of the nineties and the early years of the new millennium. The movie uses mythological elements from both cultures. To dig all these elements, it's suggested to get informed about the mythological background and watch this movie multiple times. You will realize that each character in the movie represents a different kind of ghost from Chinese mythology for example. You might also realize that the strange tall people with the umbrellas that seem to have a random cameo appearance in this movie are actually soul collectors using their umbrellas as traps. You could also see that the cook and the priest are both Taoist priests but while one uses his powers to help people and fight demons, the other uses the same powers for his own selfish acts and helps to awake and strengthen the demons. As you can see, this movie is filled with many lovely little details. If you are looking for explicit gore or an extremely creepy experience, you are at the wrong address.

Something that largely contributes to the atmosphere is the use of lights and shades, camera angles varying from wide angels to claustrophobic short cuts and many special effects that especially use colours very well. The CGI effects never look out of place and aren't overused as in many other contemporary Chinese films, especially action movies. In his directional debut, Juno Mak manages to keep the basis of solid traditional horror movies based on an atmospheric use of lights and sounds, on creepy settings in a dirty public housing tower with old- fashioned apartments and on a menacing score and more contemporary elements such as the use of vivid flashy colours contrasting with the dark settings, computer-animated demons that sometimes look exotically supernatural and at other times disturbingly realistic and slow-motion camera sequences that add a nightmarish touch to the movie.

Apart of its detailed background and its consistent gloomy atmosphere, the movie can actually convince with some interesting characters. Each important character in this movie has a tragic tale to tell and some sort of development. Some of the background stories are actually quite touching and mostly deal with loss in one way or the other. The acting is calm, grounded and actually realistic and a welcome change if compared to the usual hysterically screaming teenagers. There is not really one outstanding acting performance but each actor and actress does an above average effort in this film.

It's hard to talk about the plot itself as several individual fates and different stories end up leading to something bigger and a fatal last fight between some courageous apartment tenants and some evil creatures. The movie also contains some sort of twist or alternate story if you want to which is revealed in the last three minutes. This twist is nothing really surprising after all and maybe the only real weak point in here but you have to understand that what matters in this movie is not really the outcome of it but the way things unfold. The way between start and finish is much more intriguing than the short overture and the grand finale themselves.

Now, if you care for atmospheric, mythological and slow-paced Asian horror cinema where you have to use your brain a little bit, this is definitely one of the most original movies in many years. If you are expecting the usual graphic shocker or scary supernatural film that solely wants to entertain, then you might actually dislike this film. Make sure to be familiar with Asian horror cinema before checking this movie out and you might enjoy your overall experience even more.

Rigor Mortis is not a horror movie that is eager to scare the pants out of people. As what the trailer suggests, it is a moody atmospheric horror movie that is borderline art-house. What may surprise audience is that it actually takes its time to develop the story.

The story: It is quite straight-forward. A man moves into a spooky apartment in a 'washed- out' building. It is expected as spirits inhabit the apartment and things happen. Hold on before you think this will turn into a thrilling and scary ride. In fact, this favours slow-burning thrills and pace. It doesn't move in a break-neck pace but strangely the slow-burning pace will urge you to find out more. It builds up to a visually stunning climax where a fight with the vampire ensues. The stylish effects including the slo-mo and a few brief fight scenes enhance the movie, adding a flavour to it. The moody atmosphere of the movie is commendable.

Overall: It is commendable that this breaks away from the other horror movies. Instead it is a bleak but stylish horror movie with a slower pace. Watch this movie without thinking too much and let the story reveal its truth in its own style.

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You probably wouldn't figure pop star turned actor Juno Mak for a serious filmmaker; after all, the singer cum fashionista is best known for being one of Gillian Chung's ex-boyfriends. That is precisely why his directorial debut 'Rigor Mortis' will take you by surprise. A visually stunning homage to the 1980s heydays of Hong Kong cinema when the vampire genre was very much alive (mostly in the form of the "hopping vampire" horror comedies), it proves itself to be so much more than a feast for genre fans, packing a surprisingly amount of emotional depth and establishing itself as a refreshingly different kind of meta- cinema.

Vampire aficionados will immediately recognise lead actor Chin Siu-ho from the opening scene, one of the last surviving alum of the classic 1985 'Mr Vampire' series (Mak dedicates the film to the two other deceased members, Lam Ching Ying and Ricky Hui) who plays himself as a washed-up movie star who moves into a dilapidated tenement building to commit suicide. That act of despair introduces him to Uncle Yau (Anthony Chan Yau, erstwhile drummer of the 1970s band The Wynners as well as Chin's supporting star from 'Mr Vampire'), a veteran Taoist vampire hunter who now runs his own food stall around the neighbourhood.

Besides Uncle Yau, Chin also gains the attention of the other mostly elderly tenants of the complex played by equally venerable veterans of Hong Kong cinema. Nina Paw and Richard Ng are a devoted couple whose bond of love is tested when one of them meets with an accident and winds up dead. Chung Fat is a local temple priest who happens to be dabbling in the backroom of his apartment in the dark arts. Kara Hui is a single mother to an albino boy whose tragic past is linked to the apartment which Chin moves into. And last but not least, Johnnie To regular Lo Hoi Pang is the building's sole security guard who watches the comings and goings of the block with a wary but watchful eye.

As one of the screenwriters, Mak (who co-writes with Philip Yung and Jill Leung) likes to keep his cards close to his chest. There is no hurry in the way he slowly reveals the backstory of each of the characters, opting instead to build an eerie and unsettling atmosphere of suspense and dread with every frame. While that does demand a certain level of patience from its viewer, Mak is surprisingly effective at getting under the skin of his audience with a strong visual style heavy with musty subdued colours. The influence by producer Takashi Shimizu of 'The Grudge' is undeniable, but Mak holds its own with some truly hypnotic images in slo-mo no less.

Borrowing a leaf from his 'Revenge: A Love Story' director Wong Ching Po, Mak stages the action sequences with a fair amount of graphic violence. Yes, more faint-headed audiences should take note - some of the scenes not only get bloody, but can get rather disturbingly violent, and will surely startle the more squeamish at heart. But even as Mak clearly intends for his film to appeal as well to a younger audience who crave for such vivid details, he never does get excessive, demonstrating a fair bit of restraint in scenes which could have easily been much more explicit.

Mak also pairs his gory thrills with a generous helping of visual effects, relying less and less on his natural surroundings and more on lavishly designed dreamscapes that only make sense if one understands the rituals at the heart of the film (indeed, that's something very likely to be lost on a Western audience). Truth be told, the VFX-heavy climax was somewhat alienating to watch at first, but eventually made complete sense when viewed in the context of the love-it-or-hate-it coda. Don't say we didn't warn you - it doesn't quite end the way you want it to; instead, Mak throws in a last-minute twist that will undoubtedly throw you off-kilter, but in our opinion, is a unusually elegant eulogy to a genre and its stalwarts who have long since gone out of fashion.

Unmistakable throughout the film is a distinct sense of loss and regret, whether in the form of a loving wife who tries all she can to preserve the life of her deceased husband or the inability of vengeful spirits to let go of their tragic past or even an individual's desolation at having f**ked up his life with his loved ones. The same could be said of the veterans who make up the ensemble cast; despite being icons in the past, they have largely been forgotten by modern Hong Kong cinema, and just going by each of their compelling performances here, reason to mourn for the passing of a significant era of the industry. Like 'Gallants' from two years ago, there is a palpable sense of nostalgia one gets watching these veterans take to the screen like they never left.

And 'Rigor Mortis' deserves to be appreciated in that very light, as a tribute to the 'keung si' genre as well as Mak's personal thoughts on their fortunes since. The fact that he is a newcomer to filmmaking makes this an even bigger triumph for Mak, who delivers a thrilling and unexpectedly poignant horror movie steeped in its own unique visual aesthetic. We're not denying that there will be those who dislike Mak for pulling the rug from under their feet right at the end, but it is to us a graceful and thought-provoking turn that makes it an unusual and inspired piece of meta-cinema.